2023-09-24 19:48:00
A tenth child died on Sunday at Bouaké hospital in Ivory Coast, following probable food poisoning linked to the consumption of corn porridge contaminated with herbicide, in a village near this town in center of the country.
A source within the hospital who requested anonymity, confirmed the death of this victim, bringing the death toll to ten, all children under 15 years old.
“This male child who died this evening at 5 p.m. was 1 year and 6 months old,” said this source.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health had expressed “a strong suspicion of collective food poisoning following consumption of corn porridge contaminated by herbicides”, which occurred in the village of Niangban.
The ministry explained that “the inspection of the room where the corn used to prepare the porridge is stored, revealed three cans of herbicide and corn flour spread for (the) drying.”
According to several residents, the bodies will be buried Monday at the Niangban cemetery.
In February, in the village of Kpo-Kahankro, also close to Bouaké, two people were sentenced to five years in prison after contamination with clostridium, a bacteria which had caused 16 deaths according to an official report, 21 according to the villagers.
1695594674
#Suspected #food #poisoning #Ivory #Coast #death #toll #rises #TV5MONDE